


Can I Keep You?

by Bluefire510



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Casper and Luke both simping over Lifers, Cute, F/M, Fluffy, Ghost Powers Evolve, JATP is Casper but with music, Julie has a type, Luke Seeks Dating Advice from a movie, References to Casper (1995), Some angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-27
Updated: 2021-01-27
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:55:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29011641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluefire510/pseuds/Bluefire510
Summary: “So… you decided you were gonna 'Casper' me?”“Is that a bad thing?”Is it? Julie has no basis on how to react properly to this.It’s not a bad thing for Luke to all of a sudden channel her first celebrity crush and woo her using one of her favorite movies.It’s not bad that he was trying to practice the dance from the end, the one that always made Julie’s heart flutter-And now she’s picturing Luke in one of those flowy white shirts, taking her onto the dance floor, in front of everybody, swaying with her, maybe even-“No!” she clears her throat, to quell her flustered outburst ”it’s not. Ok? Not a bad thing… at all.”___A fic wherein which Luke stumbles upon the movie Casper and gets inspired…
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 44
Kudos: 193





	Can I Keep You?

Julie doesn’t want to jump to conclusions. 

If the past few months have taught her anything it would be not to assume anything too fast. Things have gotten dicey in her personal relationships whenever she would automatically assume the worst- like with the boys for instance. 

Whether it was calling Luke ‘selfish’ or thinking they were already destroyed by Caleb’s stamp- Julie figures she needs to keep an open mind and be more patient. And that way It would save her- and everyone else around her- a great deal of trouble (and anxiety). 

Maybe it's because she has developed such a bleak perspective of the world since her mom died, and that she just ends up being suspicious of anything and everything that would make her even the least bit happy, fearing that it would all be taken away far too soon. 

Yikes. 

Yeah, she needs to work on that, but she has been doing a better job lately- Just taking in everything, living in the moment, and not overthinking. Enjoying her time with her family, Flynn, and the boys. 

Maybe that’s why she wasn’t able to connect the dots sooner. 

One of the dots in particular is their very own ghostly guitarist: Luke ‘middle name to be inquired about later’ Patterson. 

The other dots are, well, everything he’s done in the past few weeks.

There is nothing wrong with what Luke has been doing- 

(Well, there may be a few instances but she would touch on that later)

-it’s just different. Like Julie could tell that Luke is going out of his way to perform certain acts that give off a kind of deja vu vibe. Like she has seen it all before but just couldn’t place where she encountered it first. 

Well for starters, Julie woke up one Wednesday morning to the signature smell of bacon permeating the air. 

This was already been a strange occurrence because A) her dad had already gone to work those days and B) she didn’t remember any of them getting bacon from the store that week. 

Her morning routine completely forgotten, she went downstairs to investigate. Creeping down the steps and sneakily rounding the corner, she startled a certain sleeveless ghost manning the stove. 

“Geez, Jules!” he exclaimed, hand over his non-existent heart, “You scared me half to death-” a giggle spilled out of him, “See what I did there?” 

“Wha-? Luke?” 

She rubbed the remnants of sleep from her eyes to make sure that she was actually seeing this, Seeing Luke don an apron and cook up, what seemed to be, a full on breakfast buffet. 

There was not one stovetop unoccupied- different pans laid out for eggs, sausage, bacon, and- oh boy, the most delicious looking pancakes Julie had ever seen. 

She would have salivated if she hadn't been so busy trying to quickly wipe the dried drool on her cheek from the night before. Wow, she had known the boys for a while but it was just now that one of them (and it had to be Luke of all people too!) saw her fresh out of bed. 

Tying up her rat’s nest into a scrunchie, she wanted to ask what brought this on because this was a first. 

It didn’t make sense for Luke to go through all this trouble to make such a big breakfast when he wouldn’t be able to eat any of it. The guy had almost teared up when she caught him staring wistfully into her fridge that one time. 

Instead of getting an answer, she was gently guided into her seat at the table and was soon served the works. 

“Here’s some OJ, for ya boss,” he smiled while he poured her a glass, “No pulp, right?” 

“Yeah… I really don’t care either way,”Julie accepted the drink, admiring the plates of food being brought to the table, “Luke, really, you didn’t have to-” _wait, was that blueberry syrup?_ ”-do all of this.” 

Like normally she would freshen up in the bathroom, take forever picking out an outfit for school, and only have time to grab a banana before heading off. They normally didn’t go big for breakfast since mom. 

“Just wanna make sure you got a good start to your day. That’s all,” was his reasoning and he was back in the kitchen to prepare the rest of the meal, “How do you like your eggs?” 

“Uh, scrambled is fine?” 

He shot her finger guns, clicking his tongue, “You got it.”

Julie, aided by her semi-drowsy state, thought nothing of this sweet gesture. (Because these pancakes were to die for- like yum).

It was only when Reggie had burst in through the back door with a new carton of milk, loudly proclaiming how the Hendersons from next door were suckers for not realizing half the pantry had been raided that Julie was suddenly wide-awake and she reprimanded the two ghosts immediately after. 

But yeah, it was sweet and Julie didn’t read too much into it, considering that Carlos also reaped the spoils of the boys’ theft. 

(Her brother told her that it was so cool watching the spatula and pans move by themselves in the kitchen- “It was just like in _Harry Potter!”_ ) 

Luke had even packed her lunch that day- a PB&J like the one she had tried to eat the night after they met. 

“Made sure it wasn’t tainted. So you’re good to go.” 

Julie laughed a little too hard at the joke, still reeling from it when she met up with Flynn at school later that day too. 

So that was one thing. Something he and the boys would all eventually do on Wednesday mornings, knowing that Ray wasn’t there to see the kitchen turn into the Weasley’s Burrow. (They would make a pot of coffee for her dad before he left though). 

But every other day, Luke would just… hang around at her school. 

He has done it before, but not like this. 

He would just be there for, like, half the day, even going as far as to sit in with her during classes. 

Now, that should have raised some flags for Julie. 

This boy, who has moaned and groaned about how school was boring and begging for her to ditch (something she imagined he had done back when he was alive), willingly attended Pre-Calc with her. 

There were no free seats so he plopped onto the floor next to her, tilting his head sideways as he listened to the teacher, going ‘huh’ every now and then at the lecture, then ultimately got bored and tried to doodle stuff on her notebook to get her attention. 

He would do this for every class she was in. 

At first she had minded because- er, well boundaries. She loved spending time with the guys. She really did. But with band practice and gigs and all of them living under the same roof, school was more of ‘Julie-time’. 

Luke wouldn’t go everyday, but when he did, he made going to class kind of fun. 

She should be paying attention, after all “school comes first”, but Luke there made her not want to rip her freakin’ hair out during the agonizingly slow periods for the most boring subjects. 

She would be listening to Mr. Green drone on and on about balancing chemical equations and all of the sudden Luke would poof behind the teacher, throwing up bunny ears or pulling exaggerated reactions to what the man was saying, threatening to make her burst out in a fit of laughter right there. 

Or he would be running song ideas by her and maybe regaling a funny story about Alex and Reggie from their school days. They would mostly communicate via notebook, where Julie would write her responses so as to not be suspicious. 

But it would get weird, and she often slipped and would utter out hushed replies. 

One day, after one of these instances, Julie couldn’t help but notice a few hushed whispers coming from some kids in the back of the classroom. 

They had to be talking about her because every time she would look in their direction, the whispering would cease and they pretended to be busy with whatever work they were supposed to be doing. 

She tried not to let it get to her, but Luke could tell that it was bothering her so much even though she couldn’t hear what they were saying. 

Later the bell rang, signaling time to pack everything up and head off to the next class. But when the kids from the back went to walk out the door, they immediately face planted onto the cold tile floor. 

All three of their shoelaces had been tied together. 

Everyone but Julie had laughed at the girls’ misfortune, all wondering how they were so oblivious that they didn’t notice someone going under the desks and pulling such a prank on them. 

No one laughed harder than Luke. 

And when she had cornered him out in the hallway, her phone pressed to her ear, she read him the riot act. 

“ _Why would you do that?!_ You could have gotten exposed! I could have handled a bunch of classmates whispering stuff behind my back. There was no reason for you to do that.” 

But by then, the amusement had left Luke’ eyes, replaced by a more serious expression, almost angry in a way. 

“Well?” she had demanded an explanation. 

She didn't expected what it ended up being: 

“They were talking about your mom,” 

Julie blinked at him, “W-What?”

The boy began to glower, and she didn’t have to turn around to know that the mean kids were shuffling off to their next class, still recovering from their embarrassment. 

“They were-” he stopped, barely getting the words out, “Saying stuff. Like how you talk to yourself. Apparently you do that a lot- we need to work on that- but they were calling you a ‘freak’, said it was because your mom died. And I just couldn’t- I couldn’t-” 

Not caring that they were out in public, Julie reached for his hand and held it, calming him down for he had been getting so riled up at the thought of anyone hurting her. 

That stuck with her, seeing him like this, wanting to protect her from those kinds of things even if risked their secret. She couldn’t deny that it sent a warm feeling to her heart, knowing that Luke really did care for her. (She already knew that but, this had been something else). 

“Hey,” she whispered into her phone, looking down at the floor as opposed to looking into his eyes, “It’s okay. I mean, thank you Luke. I can tell that you mean well.’ 

She had chanced it and angled her head to look at him- his eyes, which had previously been set ablaze, simmered down to a calmer shade of hazel at her touch. 

“I care about you so much,” she had said, to which the grip on her hand tightened. 

“I mean, you know. I care about _you guys_ ,” she backtracked, “Like I care about you guys so much for you not to get found out and affect the band. So please don’t pull a stunt like that again.” 

Luke nodded, now appearing guilty now that she had expressed her discomfort. 

“Right. If you don’t want me to, I won’t. But don’t say that those girls didn’t deserve it.” 

Julie didn’t want to admit that they did, but the idea of Luke going after every single person who said anything bad about her ever didn’t sit well with her. There were other ways to make her feel better after something like that… 

Nevertheless, she tried to make light of it, “Yeah, I mean what a cheesy move though, Luke. The whole shoelace thing? No one does that anymore. It like only happens in movies.” 

Luke’s eyes had widened, breaking their hand hold in favor of crossing his arms. 

“A-A movie?” his voice raised an octave, “W-what about-? I mean… Really? Wow. Nooo. No.”

She regarded him strangely, “Uh… yeah? Guess it’s a ‘90s thing, huh?” 

“Yes!” Luke answered quickly, “Yeah. Must be.” 

Okay, Julie thinks this part of the conversation had been somewhat suspicious. Like why did he get all clammed up when she pointed out an old movie cliche. But the ghost was spared from elaborating because Julie ran the risk of being tardy. 

He didn’t shadow her the following period. 

He didn’t show up at her school since, which made her a little sad, but it was probably for the best. Her grades would have suffered if he kept doing that… 

Julie ashamedly admits that she wasn’t able to start putting the pieces together until much later. 

It all happened after one day, in a fit of panic and boosted by adrenaline, Alex accidentally poofed himself and Julie to the loft in the studio, saving her from a falling amp bound to crush her foot. 

Julie would not, to this day, be able to fully articulate what she experienced in her first go around with instantaneous paranormal transport. But what she could say was that there was a second in between the poof where she just… didn’t exist. 

She couldn’t tell anyone how she knew that she no longer existed on any plane of reality, but she did. And imagine that terrifying notion- to only not exist but also be aware of it. Like what?!

But oh thank god at least she kept her shirt on. She has heard the stories... 

The rest of the guys and Flynn saw it happen, and to say that everyone collected freaked out was an understatement. 

After Alex slumped over the banister, apparently drained from teleporting Julie (and if he could eat he would have thrown up the contents of his stomach- he did _not_ look well), they all figured that since Julie is the only Lifer who could touch them that it allowed for her to tag along on the poof-ing process. 

And guess who took advantage of this new development at the first opportunity.

(Hint: floppy brown hair, aversion to sleeves, and prone to bouncing like a bunny?)

One night as Julie was getting ready for bed in front of her vanity, she was paid a visit. After politely knocking, Luke was allowed in just as she was finishing off the last strands of her braids. 

“I’ve got something I want to show you,” was what he said upon entry. 

“Alright,” she had pivoted in her chair, hand outstretched, “What do you have for me?” 

This must be one of their impromptu brainstorming sessions for a song, she assumed. 

Sometimes, Luke would be throwing rocks at her window, waking her up and asking for her opinion. And she would return the favor and burst in the studio at odd hours as well, in a rush to extract the melody that had formed in her head and needing his guitar to help. 

(They are nuts, she knows that. But they are writing partners, one often holding the key to the other’s problem and vice versa. They would be foolish not to take advantage of inspiration when it strikes.)

But when she turned to face Luke, who was dressed in his baggy orange flannel and beanie, his journal was nowhere on his person. 

Taking tentative steps towards her, Julie shrunk under the intensity of his gaze. Like how could someone who was essentially dead have eyes that hold so much life, so much light? It’s equal parts terrifying and mesmerizing. Maybe that was why she braved holding his eye contact for so long. 

She didn’t realize that her offered palm for his book was still out, not until his hand was hovering over hers. 

“Do you trust me?” 

His voice shook, him attempting to level out the anticipation lodged in his throat, further concealing it in that confident smile he always seemed to wear. 

It should have been a loaded question.

Trust does not come easy for most people, especially for people who have only known others for a brief period of time. The boys haven’t been in her life for that long, but they were all willing to sacrifice so much for each other, their bond- their love for each other already so strong. 

And Luke, he was there for her. Always have been. From Day 1 he believed in her, gifted her a song, raised her up, and even under Caleb’s control, he came through for her in the end. 

She trusts him. No hesitation. 

Julie nodded, and Luke saw it as the invitation to join their hands together- 

And then they disappeared. 

The next thing Julie knew, she was freezing, a few of her stray curls ripping free from her braids at the influence of a great breeze, the overwhelming dank musk of the ocean hit her nose at full force, and an almost blinding light sweeping by every so often. 

“Oh my god!” she made the mistake of looking down, even though she was supported by some sort of metal platform, the sight of being so high up (‘ _how high are we??’_ ) had her clinging onto Luke, arms looped around his neck. 

“Woah, woah. You’re good. We’re good. Hey,” His thumb grazed her chin, guiding her head to the left, to the lighthouse that they transported to, “Look, we’re safe.” 

“Easy-” a loud exhale left her, as she tried to calm down, “-easy for you to say! Which one of us is still alive, huh?” 

She entangled herself from him, replacing her hold on him with a tight grip on the railing. Her eyes were on the horizon, she would not look down, _“_ Why would you even bring me here?” 

“Sorry. I mean, I thought-” 

“What?” she snapped, not exactly happy to be faced with her fear of heights without warning. 

He was sheepish all of the sudden. And she shivered. Right, she was only in her T-shirt, thin pajama pants, and, of course, her dinosaur slippers. Clearly, it wasn’t the right time to be whisking her off to the ocean. 

Luke approached her from behind, and the weight of his flannel now rested on her shoulders, “Hey, I didn’t mean to freak you out just now.” 

She tried to refuse it, but the ghost claimed that he really could not get cold and insisted. 

Julie sighed, sliding her arms into the sleeves, Luke helping her. 

She was growing remorseful about earlier, especially since Luke acted like a gentleman despite her foul mood. She didn’t plan on being snippy with him just then. She hoped that this didn’t mean she no longer trusted him, she had been thrown off guard that was all. 

“Is there a reason you wanted to take me here?” she tried again, curious rather than apprehensive. 

Luke slid in right beside her, forearms sitting on the railing, “I figured you needed some fresh air. And I thought this was a good spot. Maybe to help clear your head.”

“Oh,” she said, “Why would I need to clear my head?” 

“I mean,” he blew out, “I don’t think you’ve had time to sit and just take everything in. Be in the moment?” 

His ring tapped against the metal, a behavioral tick maybe, “We’ve been going nonstop for weeks: rehearse and play, rehearse and play. But have you really, you know, processed that-” 

“-my life is essentially a ghost story?” she remarked cheekily. She was warming up to not only this conversation but literally. The flannel she was wearing was as insulating as it was comfortable. 

“A good one, I hope,”

The great light spun around, illuminating their backs and the dark ocean. It was hypnotic, watching it go (well not really, she would have gone blind), and paired that with the sounds of the water receding and crashing onto the rocky terrain it produced a lulling effect. 

Okay, she was starting to see the appeal. 

“It is,” she replied, shooting him a small smile, “From where I’m standing.” 

Luke exhaled in relief, “That’s- that’s cool.” 

She and Luke didn’t do much talking that night, just kept each other company while they watched the waves. It seemed like he had some stuff on his mind too. 

At one point during this, their hands inched towards each other on the rail, pinkies outstretched, testing the waters so to speak. 

A beat would pass, maybe she and Luke would exchange a few words, and then before she could utter the next sentence, Luke’s hand was blanketing hers, contributing to her body heat (ironic since he had neither a body or heat). 

It still boggles her mind at times. That they can touch. Physically. To experience the landscape of each other’s hands, the hills and valleys of their palms fitting together, it’s something she doesn’t take for granted. 

But not like he hasn’t been able to make her feel before. Or to be felt for that matter. Luke’s been special that way. That in the absence of a body, he could just… trigger her nerve endings, bring forth goosebumps, make her heart really fast- like he’s already got a hold on her before he could even hold her. 

Oh. She’s getting carried away- back to the moment at hand. 

Why would she spend so much time describing that moment when that wasn’t even the most interesting part of that night? 

No, it got real interesting when they poofed back home. And that was where Julie had some sort of sense of the bigger scheme at play. 

The poofing dropped them both onto her bed. It didn’t create much of a ruckus. But somewhere in the in between nowhere they were just at, they had reoriented onto a horizontal positioning. 

Once out, they plopped onto her mattress, Luke cushioning her fall, her head thudding against his chest upon impact, his arms wrapped securely around her. 

If this happened hours earlier, Julie would for sure have busted out in a full body blush, stammering and scooching away from this cute boy on her bed, and he would do the same. 

It must have been the taxing effort of transporting both him and a Lifer, and the fact that she was still mentally vibing with the soothing sounds of the waves, because she and Luke were too sluggish to move. 

Half-lidded, Julie looked up at him, “Are you tired?” she whispered. 

“I-” A yawn sprung forth from his mouth, “I guess so.” 

“That doesn’t usually happen, right?”

“No. It doesn’t,”

After trying (and failing) to suppress another yawn, Luke’s ghostly form sunk deeper into her soft mattress, letting out a deep, contented sigh. She knew that feeling all too well. 

And she was experiencing it now, that night's events catching up to her and demanding her body to rest. Her wits weren’t about her, otherwise she would be more aware of how _intimate_ this was. 

But instead she focused on the rise and fall of Luke’s chest, sending her into the start of her slumber. She remembers it feeling so nice.. 

“I’m new to this,” he murmured, playing with the ends of her braids, almost passing out himself from sheer exhaustion. 

She yawned, “You’ll learn. You’ll get the hang of it...” 

“I’ve never- I’ve never had to do all this. Like no one tells you what it’s going to be like,” 

“Not like...anyone could,” she mumbled, barely hanging in there. 

Julie could sense her consciousness waning, but Luke was probably more alert than she was. And even though she could hear a twinge of worry in his voice, which was rare coming from Luke, she didn’t react as expressively as she could have. 

“But there’s so much that- that I should have known going into it. Just a lot to deal with and no one really… no really talks about it. About being a ghost and feeling like this,” 

The rise and falling intervals grew shorter, jarring Julie right when she was about to fall asleep, “Like what?” 

“Vulnerable. Like I could still get hurt,” 

Julie frowned, now more receptive to the seriousness of Luke’s sleepy time talk, “You’ve been feeling this a lot lately? How come?” 

“It’s hard being here but not actually being here, Julie. I’m meant to sit and observe life, not participate. There are times where I don’t mind...watching,” 

Julie attributed it to her sleepy state but she swore his eyes were fixed on her when he said this, but she couldn’t tell, she had trouble keeping her eyes open and she hadn’t moved her head from Luke’s chest once. 

“But there are things that I still want out of life. Things that I want that are so far out of reach, and it’s frustrating. I just feel helpless,” 

There was an ache there, one that she hadn’t heard since he sang ‘Unsaid Emily’. 

Julie was compelled to comfort him, to make it go away. She willed herself out of her grogginess to angle her head to meet his eyes. 

“And we’re… we’re doing those things, Luke. Look at what-”she slurred, probably sounding like a babbling maniac, “what we’ve accomplished so far. Getting… attention from- from people… the band could really make it-” 

“Not talking about the band,” 

His hazel shifted a shade darker. And even in her sleep-addled state she caught on. 

“Oh,” she uttered lamely. 

“Yeah…” 

“Hmm…” Oh no, she was going under, she really couldn’t fight the urge to rest, but Luke was hurting she needed to - 

A yawn escaped her. 

Luke gently rolled her off of him, so she was on her preferred side of the bed. Julie’s eyes were closed, but she felt the blanket being pulled up past her shoulders. 

“M’sorry, Luke…” 

“Dont. Not… your fault,” A hand pet her head tenderly, “Could never be,” 

“I’ll… help. We can do… ” Julie couldn’t finish, her mouth couldn’t move fast enough to help her talk. 

Luke chuckled, “Go to sleep, Julie,” 

“mm… ok…”

It took a while for sleep to fully consume her, and all throughout at that time, Luke stuck by her, rubbing her shoulder, her back, making shushing noises to soothe her. 

She was on the cusp of passing out when she heard Luke whisper, “Julie?” 

“Hmm?” 

She waited, Luke must have been hesitating, thinking. A full breath passed between them before he drew close to her, to her ear as he brushed a stray of hair away from her face, caressing her cheek. 

Then she heard him say:

_“Can I keep you?”_

The phrase, the familiarity of it, creased her brows, “What?” 

In an instant the fingers left her face, his breath no longer fanning her ear, he pulled away, 

“I, uh, said goodnight.”

Julie couldn’t call him out on the lie, she couldn’t respond even though she wanted to ask him why. And why do those words strike deep into her heart, filling her with hope but crushing it at the same time. 

She couldn’t do anything about it because Luke had made his escape, shutting off the lights and she was already deep into dreamland, the covers and his flannel keeping her safe and warm…

It wasn’t until the following week that Julie finally, _finally_ solved the mystery. 

But she totally wouldn’t have done it without Flynn. 

Flynn had informed them about the Halloween Dance Los Feliz was putting on this Friday. Not for a performance opportunity, much to all of their relief, but to let them know that she scored another gig with the school. 

Everyone was proud of her. And rightfully so. 

Julie and Flynn were in the kitchen, chilling and eating after she broke the news. They were going over their plans, Julie excited to show off the costume that she had been working on and because Halloween has always been one of her favorite times of the year. 

Flynn was hyping her up as always, and kept saying how lucky she was that she didn’t have to worry about being the entertainment for the evening, that she could actually enjoy herself at the dance this time around. 

But then that meant Flynn might be too busy captaining the turntables to hang out with her all night. 

“Well, I mean now you _have_ to take somebody,” her bestie said, biting into her apple, “Hate to break it to you, but you can’t bring the ghostly trio along even though you want to.”

Julie’s spoonful of ice cream missed her mouth completely, “Wait, say that again.” 

“What? Ghostly trio?” 

She leaned forward, “Where’s that from?” 

“From _Casper._ I rewatched it last night, it was on TV. I thought it was fitting. Well maybe not, I guess Alex could be Stretch since he’s the tallest but that’s where the similarities end-” 

“ _Casper_... Like the movie?” 

“Yeah. Why? What’s up?” 

_No freakin’ way._

The spoon clattered onto the table. Ice cream forgotten. 

That was it. Luke’s behavior… that explained it. 

The movie. _That_ movie. 

Like oh my god. 

How could she not have seen it before? 

_Casper_ \- a movie she had seen countless times as a kid, a Halloween staple in the Molina household. They even had it on DVD laying around somewhere. 

She could replay the scenes in her head- 

like the one where Casper made breakfast for Kat, or when he tied the kids’ shoelaces at school, or where Casper openly mocks Kat’s crush, and then the one where he whisked her off to the lighthouse-

the one where they were in bed, when he said those words…

All very similar to the recent behavior of a certain ghost… 

Julie’s eyes widened at the realization: 

Luke has been trying to emulate Casper.

Julie spilled everything to Flynn. Her bestie had been aware of some of it (she had yet to hear about what happened on her bed- oh boy). 

Upon finishing her story, presenting her evidence, Flynn exploded in laughter, clutching her chest and slapping her knee, “T-That’s rich!” 

She was very amused. 

Julie was not. 

“How?” 

“Like didn’t you love that movie growing up?” 

“Yeah. So did you. So what?” 

“Honey,” Flynn ceased her laughing and placed a hand over hers, “it was Christina Ricci for me. And it was Devon Sawa for you.” 

Julie flushed at the insuiation

Yeah, so maybe the first boy she had ever found cute was Devon Sawa when he was Casper. And maybe that was why she developed a crush on Nick- the freckles, the shaggy yet shiny blonde hair, light eyes. 

But the way Flynn was wiggling her eyebrows and nodding her head in the direction of the studio, her best friend was suggesting something else about the role… 

She gasped, “I do not have a type!” 

“You like ghost boys! Always have!” And at that, the girl was back in her giggles, clapping in glee. 

“Shut up!” 

“You so do!” 

Julie growled, not wanting to get into that right now. Because she didn’t- no, of course not. Like, just because she found Casper cute doesn’t mean she has a thing for ghosts. Just a coincidence. Totally. 

But wait a minute, Luke had tried to mirror the events of the movie. 

Why? And why now?

And that brings her currently storming to the studio, leaving Flynn in the kitchen to seek answers. 

She throws open the doors… 

To find Alex and Luke engaged in a simple box step, the former coaching the latter on his footwork while Reggie plays ‘Remember Me This Way’ on the speaker. 

And if that isn’t damning evidence, she doesn’t know what is. 

The boys freeze, eyes large, staring back at her. 

“Julie!” Luke pushes Alex away, his hands shifting between his hips and the beanie on his head, clearly not knowing how to ‘act natural, “Uh, hey,” 

The music cuts and she crosses her arms, “What’s all this?” 

“Uh, nothing,”

Alex follows in suit, “Nothing,” 

“Definitely _not_ practicing,” 

“Reggie!” Luke and Alex hiss at the bassist. 

“Practicing, for what?” she directs this question to Luke. 

“I, was, uh, helping Alex here learn how to dance,” 

Julie raises an eyebrow, “You… were teaching _Alex_?” 

“Yeah, he wants to dance with Willie, and he,” he gestures to the drummer, “… clearly needs help.”

Alex sighs, pursing his lips, “I swear to God-” 

“Really?” Julie cuts in. This guy has the nerve to lie to her right now when she caught him red-handed. 

Yeah, no. 

“Okay, everyone but Luke out,” 

Reggie opens his mouth, “But-” 

“Now. Please,” 

Alex and Reggie leave without a fight, poofing out as Julie closes the door. Crossing the space, she stands in front of Luke

“Just out with it,” 

“Psh, wha-” he tries denying. 

“I know what you’ve been doing. Did you see it before...?

Luke holds his hands up in surrender, relenting, “Carlos left the TV on weeks ago. And at first, I saw Eric Idle and so, well, I loved _Monty Python_ \- ” 

“Luke,” 

“I...needed help. Ok?” he explains, voice small. 

Oh. 

So that’s what he meant that night. 

He didn’t mean he was clueless about being a ghost. 

It was more like being a ghost… and falling for someone who wasn’t. 

No doubt their situation’s unique. Apparently, according to Willie, he’s never heard of any instances where ghosts could be visible to Lifers in the way the boys have become visible when they play. The ghost has grown even more puzzled when all of the sudden Julie could now make contact. 

This, their interesting little relationship, is uncharted waters. 

A product of a rarity, It would make sense that Luke would be drawn to Casper and his story, a ghost who struggled the same way he does, and see how it all played out. He may be a fictional character but Luke needs all the guidance he could get. 

Poor, clueless, but adorable Luke… 

“So… you decided you were gonna _Casper_ me?” 

“Is that a bad thing?” 

Is it? Julie has no basis on how to react properly to this. 

It’s not a bad thing for Luke to all of a sudden channel her first celebrity crush and woo her using one of her favorite movies. It’s not bad that he was trying to practice the dance from the end, the one that always made Julie’s heart flutter- 

And now she’s picturing Luke in one of those flowy white shirts, taking her onto the dance floor, in front of everybody, swaying with her, maybe even- 

_“No!”_ she clears her throat, to quell her flustered outburst ”it’s not. Ok? Not a bad thing… at all.” 

Luke doesn’t seem to notice, thinking she was bothered by the idea, “You weirded out though, right? Can I just say it wasn’t my idea? That Reggie and Alex put me up to it?” 

“Will I believe it?” 

He doesn’t dignify that with an answer. 

Julie paced a bit, “I’m sorry, I really don’t know how to react to this,” 

“Don’t you- don’t you like the movie? Carlos said it was one of your favorites.” 

Oh she is so going to have a talk with her brother later. He may be worse than Flynn in pointing out her obsession with the movie when she was younger… 

“It is. Yeah. And everything you did for me, because of the movie, it was sweet. Like overall, but…” 

“But?” 

“You could have just said something,” 

“It’s not easy, Julie,” 

“But don’t you…don’t you want to?” 

_Don’t you want this?_ _Us?_ Wherever this interesting relationship is heading? 

Julie’s not stupid, there’s this connection they both share that’s not entirely friendly. The longing stares, the lingering casual touches that were anything but… 

Luke does too, but he’s… conflicted? 

“I do. But,” 

He extends his arm, marking the distance between them. 

_Out of reach._

She surged forward, grabbing both of her hands in his, “We can touch now, Luke.” she reminds.

“But I can’t age. I can’t be visible unless I’m playing. I can’t take you to the Halloween dance. Or prom,” his insecurities were being laid bare out in front of her, “So do you blame me if I want what _Casper_ had, at least for a night, to have you. To-” he falters, stepping back. 

To keep her… 

_Can I keep you?_

And it’s those damn words again. 

Four words, a simple question, the gravity of why they couldn’t just be together- summed up perfectly. 

“I didn’t know what it really meant. Not until…” 

Not until she fell for a ghost. 

Until she realized what it means to care for someone who could be here one day but cross over the next. And for people who have already experienced loss, and so many other life- changing events, would it be too much to ask? For them to have something and not have it slip away? 

And is it crazy that Julie doesn’t care? That if they don’t have much time or if they’re doomed from the start, she still wants to be with him? 

Luke must have revealed much more than he was willing to. He withdraws his hands, creating more distance between them. Regret etched all over his face. 

“You should go with someone though. To the dance,” 

She frowns, “But Luke-”

“It can’t be me. I don’t know what I was thinking, this clearly complicates things even more. You deserve normal. You deserve to be happy,” 

Luke turns off the stereo, retreating further into the studio much to her protests. 

Of course he’s backing out now. Of course he would after pulling a stunt like this. She knows Luke quite well at this point. As uncharacteristic at it is, on the surface, for him to surrender, he’s always the one to keep his deeper feelings bottled up inside. 

It was evident with his parents, it’s evident now when facing the reality of their relationship. And as much as Luke wants this, wants her- he cares about her too much to let his feelings get in the way of her happiness. 

But can’t he see? 

“I liked you. Even before we can touch. You know that?” 

That stalls him. 

“And what happened to living in the moment huh?” she pushes, “Yeah, things are weird and complicated and the future is uncertain, but if I choose happy then I choose you.” 

Luke is battling himself, torn between basking in the glory of this moment… and being grounded. 

“I’m not meant to stick around, Julie. You’re meant to grow up, grow old- get married to someone who could give you all that you want. You’re meant to forget about me-” 

“I don’t think I could ever forget you,” 

“How would this even work?” 

“We’ll figure it out. Like we did with everything else,”

“I don’t know, Julie,”

They could hear noises coming from outside of the studio. Alex and Reggie must be getting antsy waiting for them to be done. 

Luke sees his opportunity to opt out of the conversation. 

“I’m sorry. I can’t do this to you. I don’t want to hurt you. I was being stupid,”

“You’re not” she insists, “And you won’t.” 

“The guys keep telling me that life isn’t like what it is in the movies. Maybe I should have listened,” Luke smiles sadly. And he walks towards her, placing a small kiss on her forehead, “You deserve something that lasts.”

He poofs out shortly after, leaving her alone in the quiet studio. 

Oh yeah, Julie thinks ironically to herself, Casper had let Kat go too. 

* * *

Julie didn’t want to, but Flynn was able to convince her to go to the dance with Nick. 

The days leading up to the dance have been awkward, she rarely saw Luke, at least alone. Band practices, therefore, haven’t gone the smoothest. He would catch her eye before averting his gaze and shuffling off to the opposite corner. 

Alex and Reggie did their best to help her, talk her through Luke’s thinking process- but she already knows why. It doesn’t make her feel any better that they both like each other but he’s refusing to engage. 

And to think this is all because of a movie, one that exposes both of their insecurities as well provide a little glimmer of hope. 

Instead of dwelling on it, Julie plunged into the last few finishing touches of her costume, making sure it’s ready. And she swears she had been working on it long before this whole Casper mess, but she had taken inspiration from some Victorian wedding dresses. 

She never meant to match with Kat’s costume from the movie. 

Julie thinks she must have some sort of dumb luck and the universe is out to get her because the similarities don’t stop there. 

She’s now at the dance, which is in full swing, Flynn’s up there in the DJ booth setting the pace, everyone’s decked out in their costumes. But Nick’s nowhere to be found. 

They have planned to meet up there, and she keeps texting to ask where he was. 

Waiting for him, she dances anyway, hoping that no one notices how awkward she’s feeling, how embarrassed she was. She manages to have a good enough time talking to other people, bouncing around and vibing with Flynn’s songs. 

Her bestie would shoot her concerned glances every now and then, especially when she puts out a slow song, but Julie gives her a thumbs up every time. 

But Nick doesn’t show up at all. 

Again, something a little too on the nose in the _Casper_ -verse… for this had happened to Kat as well. And although she didn’t expect for Nick in cahoots with Carrie plotting to embarrass and scare her, it still doesn’t feel all that great to be stood up. 

She does get a text towards the end of the night, while she sits in one of the chairs against the wall, Nick apologizing profusely because something had come up. 

Well, not much use is this excuse to her now. The dance is just about over. 

Flynn announces that it’s almost time for the last slow dance of the night, urging people to pair up. She hops off the stage and goes over to Julie, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly. 

“I’m sorry, Jules,” 

“It’s okay,” 

“Maybe we can have another sleepover afterwards,” 

She snorts, “We should really stop making that a habit.” 

“Not a chance. I got your back,” Flynn starts walking backwards to the stage, “I have to get back up there, but wave me down if you-” her steps stutter and her eyes widen. 

Julie looks at her quizzically, “What?” 

Her best friend’s sights are trained on one of the gym exits. In fact, everyone at the dance is looking in that direction, a murmuring befell among the crowd. 

She points, “Am I crazy but do you see them too?” 

“What?” 

Julie cranes her head and gasps. 

No way. 

There at the door are the boys. 

What? How? 

That shouldn’t be possible. They are only standing in the doorway, no instruments in hand, simply existing, yet they are seen by every student in attendance. The word ‘Phantoms’ is the louder of the whispers she overhears as they make their way into the gym. 

Julie thinks that their arrival alone is enough to surprise her, but no. 

As Alex and Reggie (and Willie too, further adding to her confusion) disperse, giving her waves as they join the crowd, Julie is mostly focusing on Luke. 

Unlike his friends, he’s the only who dressed up. 

The boy had his hair done up, maybe gelled, like how it had been during their Orpheum performance, and he wore a loose-fitting white shirt, with flared out sleeves, a neckline drooping low enough for his clavicles to be peeking through. His trousers, baggy, is in theme, and he somehow snagged a pair of leather boots. 

Julie’s mouth drops, stunned. 

He sweeps the floor for her, he catches Flynn first who points to Julie in the chair. Smiling, he waltzes over to her. 

“Can I have this dance?” he offers his hand. 

She nods, rising from the chair, her dress shifting and flowing behind her as they head towards the center, the rest of the students parting for them because, oh my god- the hologram guys are at their school. 

Flynn is able to snap out of her shock and is on the stage in seconds, playing the slow song, setting the scene for the two of them. 

Luke swings her around, almost presenting her to the students crowding around them, forming a circle in the middle, and her cheeks heat up at all the attention they’re receiving. 

After the rotation, she comes to face him, his hands hold onto her waist, and her hands link up behind his neck. 

“Do I want to know?” she asks, not yet wanting to suspend her belief that Luke is here right now at her school, dancing with her in front of everyone- something she has always dreamed of. 

Luke’s hands left her waist to gently pry her hands away until he’s holding them. He steps back and spins her around until her back is against his chest, their hands conjoined at her waist. 

“Apparently Halloween is a special day for ghosts,” he says just low enough for them to hear- something Willie must have told him most likely... 

“So what? You’re visible…” Julie twirls out of Luke’s hold, and he spies Reggie out in the crowd, getting cozy with Kayla from Dirty Candy, kissing her hand in a flirtatious greeting. 

“-And corporeal?” she finishes returning in front of Luke. 

“Until midnight. Beats 10 o’clock doesn’t it?” Now his hand supports her back, the other holding onto her right and they dance some more. 

After some time watching her and Luke dance, the excitement wanes and soon other couples join them on the floor, including Alex and Willie, at whom Julie couldn’t stop sending proud looks. They are so cute. 

She continues dancing with Luke, feeling on cloud nine. He has the audacity of biting his lips and glance down at the two of them together, their costumes complementing on another’s, paralleling closely to the movie. 

“I didn’t plan this, I swear...” he says, referring to the lack of Nick in the room. Yeah, she doesn’t think Luke would ever want her to get stood up like in the movie. 

“Yeah, I’m starting to think that my life already parallels that movie enough without your meddling,” 

A girl reeling from the loss of her mother, a father clueless but who means well, antagonist vain and manipulative- (like a certain evil magician ghost), her life forever changed with the introduction to ghosts… 

Her life really is a ghost story. 

Oh the irony. 

“I noticed it too, when I was watching,” he notes, spinning them around in slow circles, “Made me kinda glad I picked that movie to use to try and woo you with. It was either that or the one with Patrick Swayze.” 

Julie was struck with flashes of candles, white curtains, and Luke in nice fitting pants and gelled up hair- all channeling the actor previously mentioned. 

Another actor she had a crush on. 

Another actor who had played a ghost… 

Her forehead thunked onto his shoulder, embarrassed, “I really do have a type, do I?” 

_Dancing ghosts. Cute dancing ghosts._ There Flynn- happy now? 

“Yeah,” he chuckles, his form shaking from his own amusement, “You do. I think it’s adorable. And lucky for me.”

She swats him playfully on the shoulder, “I’m glad you chose it too.” 

Better the movie where the ghost gets the girl in the end, not having to say goodbye… 

“Julie, did you mean what you said?” he says, his hazel eyes soft, “I make you happy?” 

“Yes. Of course you do. Do I make you happy?” 

“No question,” he looks at the ground, unsure, “And you want to try giving us a shot?” 

“I- I can’t keep worrying about tomorrow. I want to focus on right now. _You_ taught me that,” she punctuates the ‘you’ with a wrinkle of her nose.

It’s true, the boy who’s written the hit ‘Now or Never’, the one who lives in the moment, who makes her feel lucky to be here, and present in the wondrous mess that is life. 

“If you’ll have me, Jules. Then… yes,” 

She lights up, “Really?” 

“Yes. I don’t want to waste whatever time we have. I’m not making that mistake again,” A pair of lips touched her forehead, “You make me feel alive again, you know?” 

“You make me feel alive too,” 

Luke’s smile, as blinding as the lighthouse light, fills her with such joy, she starts laughing. He does too, bumping their foreheads together. His hand travels up her back to the base of her neck, and he dips her, she squeals. 

“Told you I was a good dancer,” he says, hovering over her, hand holding hers tight, supporting her as she’s suspended.

And with more confidence than he had back in her room that night, he leans in, his nose skimming against hers, he asks: 

_“Can I keep you?”_

Julie’s other hand, the one at his back slides over until she’s cupping his face, beckoning him towards her and their lips meet in one world shattering kiss. 

Upon breaking, Julie’s radiating, “You already have me. Always will.” she reiterates, thumbing his cheek, and Luke- he seems like he could just die again. 

He brings her up, and he leans down, burrowing his face into her hair and they sway, holding each other tight. She could feel him kiss her locks, her scalp, and for a moment her neck- always a laugh of disbelief in between. 

She could hardly believe it either, how she could be so happy right now. Happy with a ghost. 

But this ghost cares about her, has been willing to throw himself away, numerous times in fact, to make sure she’s taken care of. This ghost who cheers her on, who helped her find her passion for music again. 

This doesn’t feel like a mistake. This doesn’t feel like something to regret later, after either of them have gone. 

Being with Luke would never feel like a mistake. 

“Ok. Confession time,” her now ghost boyfriend remarks, pulling away, as the song fades into silence, “I did have one last thing planned. But, like, before I called it quits and before Flynn told us that she’s DJ-ing.” 

“Why are you mentioning this now?” 

He grimaces, “I might have forgotten to let our friends know-” 

The jiving rhythm of drums broke through the calm of the gym, followed by a groovy bass lick. 

Everyone turns to the stage where Flynn is shaking her head at the ghost boys having commandeered the instruments on stage and began to play a familiar rock n’ roll melody, clearly missing the electric guitar. 

People around them cheer, clapping Luke and her and the back, ushering them towards the stage, thinking this is some sort of treat to end the night. Julie just goes with it, and with Flynn clapping at her and gesturing for her to take the stage, she just goes for it.

Flynn hands Luke an electric from… somewhere, and it’s already hooked up. 

‘Sorry!’ Luke mouths out at her, but she takes it in stride, already seeing where this is going. 

“Don’t worry,” Julie approaches the mic stand in his stead, “I know all the words.” 

Her best friend brings out the mic, “Everybody give it up for a surprise performance. From _Julie and the Phantoms_!” 

A smirk on her face, she points to the band, “Boys?” 

Luke finally jumps in on guitar, 50’s rock and roll coursing through him though he’s old fashioned in his pirate-like blouse- god, Julie really loves this look on him. 

Alex and Reggie up the ante, bringing the house down and everyone’s on their feet. Willie’s out in the front, hopping up and down and whooping along, cheering loudly for the cute drummer, especially. 

_“Casper the friendly ghost...The friendliest ghost you know,”_ she looks at her friends as she sang, eyebrows raised. This is ridiculous. 

But in the best possible way. 

_“Though grown-ups might look in anger and fright…”_ Luke is on the harmonies with her, winking at her, “ _The children all love him so…”_

And so they close the night with how they closed the _Casper_ movie: with an out of nowhere music number. (Not the weirdest evening she's ever spent...)

Julie always wondered what ever happened to Casper and Kat after the movie, after the clock struck 10 and their moment of magic ended. The one kiss that was meant to be their first and last. Kat would have grown up, Casper would have stayed a ghost, nothing changed. 

Yet, she has a feeling that they were happy. At least happy to have that moment. Beats having none at all, and going on life with regret. 

And that’s what she plans to do with Luke, bask in this moment for however long it lasts. 

And when the time comes… well, it would never really end, would it? Wherever she or Luke end up being, they would always have a hold on each other. 

As Luke keeps her in his heart…

She would keep him in hers. 

Yeah, the boys are right. Life isn't like how it is in movies. 

Sometimes, it's much better... 

**Author's Note:**

> Did I write this instead of starting my school work?
> 
> Yes.
> 
> I had this concept bouncing around for months and I just had to write something new before returning to WIPs. Inspired by a tumblr gifset by 
> 
> Look. 
> 
> I love Casper. Like it really was the start of my ghost boy romance obsession. Hocus Pocus certainly didn't help either. Devon Sawa had been my awakening, and I thought it would be fitting that it was for Julie too. Like it's somewhat canon that Julie has envisioned Luke to resemble Patrick Swayze from Dirty Dancing- and Swayze had also played a ghost in Ghost. So yeah... Julie sure does have a type for dancing ghosts with loose white shirts and fitting black pants. 
> 
> Hit me up on tumblr @bluefirewrites and rant to me about Casper. 
> 
> I could go on and on about this movie and i wish I could fit all the references I could because I love it so much. (Julie doesn't mention it but Luke mocking Nick in the hallway parallels Casper mocking Vic in front of Kat (HOLY SHIT NICK AND VIC- WAIT A MINUTE). 
> 
> Hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Peace!


End file.
